David Krutko

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just have a question in regard to contract services at $848,000. Could you give us an idea of what that’s for, contract services? Is that consultants?

Again I think we also have to realize that we have to deal with the emotional and physical restraints that elders are under. We have to provide those types of programs in the communities to vitalize the elders and keep them active, keep them involved in different community activities and events, and keep them mobile. I’d like to ask the Minister what we’re doing to enhance the physical aspects of elders’ care in communities so that we do keep them active and full participants in our community activities.

Again, if you are charging somebody on the basis of conservation and you find out that the issue wasn’t really conservation and you have charged somebody and you find out that the issue of conservation wasn’t the factor, the factor was that it was an undercount by way of the lack of or amount of time it took to count the species that is in question, in regards to using conservation as the reason to charge people. Now you find out that the herd is way over or a lot healthier than you basically used the situation of going out there and saying we are down to two caribou. You can’t shoot one...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to recognize Charlie Furlong who is a mentor of mine who invited me into Aboriginal politics in 1985, 26 years ago, when he was the president of the Mackenzie Delta Regional Council and I was the vice-president. It’s been some time and I’d like to thank Charlie publicly for breaking the trail and leading me astray in some cases, and for all the work that Charlie’s done for the residents of the Mackenzie Delta and the Northwest Territories. He is also serving as the chief of the Aklavik band and is now president of the designated Gwich’in...

Mr. Chairman, again, I think it’s important that we do identify climate change and impacts that we’re seeing. I think one of the most obvious impacts that we can see is the erosion that we’re seeing with the melting permafrost and the slumping that’s happening throughout the tundra in regard to the coastline erosion and erosion in our mountain valleys, and more importantly, creeks that are basically filling up with mud from slumping and sliding. I think that we have to realize that it’s eventually going to continue to grow. I think that’s one area that we can really show the rest of the world...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also would like to talk about a similar issue in regards to energy management. I think that we have to realize that communities are probably a little ways ahead of us in a lot of this stuff and I know that the communities I represent, Tsiighetchic, Fort McPherson especially, are looking long term which they are looking at setting goals of 2025 of trying to cut their emissions down to 50 percent, and I think the communities are trying to do their part as communities in the Arctic that can show the rest of the world that we are doing our part when it comes to climate...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. In regard to traditional knowledge funding, like I stated, there’s been a major reduction. In this it’s down to $65,000 from $110,000. Just going back to the previous page in grants and contributions it was some $415,000, but most of that was... I’d just like to know exactly, you mentioned that there’s some $225,000, why does that not show up in that line item where you’re showing $65,000?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’d like to comment around the area of traditional knowledge, but more importantly, the Traditional Knowledge Policy and if there’s actually a policy. Because I think that one of the things that people used to always assume was that scientific knowledge was the basis for all information, but I think because of the traditional knowledge importance and the way that traditional knowledge is compiled over decades and not thousands of years, that you can basically realize the importance of that and also working in conjunction with the Aboriginal organizations and wildlife and...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I too would like to thank the Minister for his opening comments in regard to the road from Wrigley to Tuk. I think that the groups have done a lot of work and I’d like to thank the Minister. He made reference to the progress on the road from Inuvik to Tuk. I believe there has been a lot of progress from Inuvik south also, and I had an opportunity to be privy in Inuvik to a presentation on the road from Inuvik southward and I think that they also have done a lot of work and I was pretty impressed with the report that they put together. Again, it does encompass a lot. Again...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, the reason I bring the motion forward is realizing that we also have to have an integrated system of care throughout the Northwest Territories and not continue to take these services out of our smaller communities and provide them elsewhere.

Mr. Speaker, for too long we have taken our children out of our communities and basically sent them somewhere else to be either educated or cared for through programs and services of the government-of-the-day that meant well. Yet, Mr. Speaker, the consequences of those decisions are long lasting in regard to the social...